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George W. Bush administration

The article below was written by a friend of mine who has a background working in the government. He has given his permission for me to reprint this on Daily Kos and ePluribus Media. The original article was posted on Gather.com as The GSA scandal -- a personal perspective. If you are so inclined, please send some traffic to the original article to help give it the bump & notice it deserves. Thank you. -- GreyHawk

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The GSA scandal -- a personal perspective

by John S.First posted April 07, 2012 10:49 AM EDT

I used to work for the General Services Administration (GSA) before transferring to USDOJ.

The scandal which has been hitting the news is so different from the GSA I knew that it is like finding your sainted grandmother arrested by the police for having an orgy in front of the local courthouse on Sunday afternoon.

GSA had always been very strict on following government guidelines, and pinched every penny. No flying first class. No gifts. Everyone got training on how to avoid problems with the ethics rules. This was so much a part of the agency's culture it is hard to see how such a major change could take place.

Via a Facebook update by Naomi Wolf comes the news that the ACLU uncovered a memo from the Bush era that warned the 9/11 Commission not to "cross a line" in its investigation and not to probe too deeply.

Leaked confidential documents have revealed that senior officials from the former US administration had warned a 9/11 investigation panel against probing too deeply into the terrorist attacks.

In a letter obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the 9/11 Commission was refused permission to question terror suspects, with the Bush administration arguing that by doing so the panel would "cross" a "line" and obstruct the administration's efforts to protect the nation.

The 9/11 Commission, officially called the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, was formed by President Bush in November of 2002 "to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks" and to offer recommendations for preventing future attacks.

"The Commission staff's proposed participation in questioning of detainees would cross that line," the letter continued. "As the officers of the United States responsible for the law enforcement, defense and intelligence functions of the Government, we urge your Commission not to further pursue the proposed request to participate in the questioning of detainees."

FireDogLake's Marcy Wheeler speculates that this was an attempt by the Bush administration to ensure that its torture of certain detainees, which has since been widely documented, remained secret.

"[W]hoever made these annotations appears to have been most worried that Commission staff members could make independent judgments about the detainees and the interrogations," Wheeler wrote on her blog. The official "didn't want anyone to independently evaluate the interrogations conducted in the torture program."

Eventually, the commission's co-chairs harshly criticized the administration for having purportedly "destroyed" tapes of its interrogations with terror suspects, as Raw Story reported last year.

At some point, hopefully before the Obama Administration gets too far along on its own path, someone will have the fortitude and wherewithall to send a huge cleaning van up to the White House to help mop up the mess left by the previous Administration, ideally in time to help ensure that the current Administration is given a much clearer mandate to work with, and ideally to help it stay within the bounds of Constitutional law and proper common ethical standards.

This is a reminder of what the former Administration said -- just look around and see where that got us, and the size of the mess it created for the current Administration, for the nation and for the world:

Isn't it time for a little accountability, some legal investigation and some accountability?

How many of you have heard the name "James Yee" or "Yosuf Yee" ...? For those who, for one reason or another, won't or aren't in a position to click the link, it goes to the Wiki page. Here's an excerpt:

__________

James J. Yee (Chinese: 余百康 or 余优素福, also known by the Arabic name Yusuf Yee) (born c. 1968) is an American, former United States Army chaplain with the rank of captain. He is best known for being subject to an intense investigation by the United States, but all charges were later dropped.__________

In addition, this:

__________

In his appointed role as chaplain, Yee ministered to Muslim detainees held at Guantánamo Bay detention camp and received commendation from his superiors for his work.[5] When returning from duty at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, he was arrested on September 10, 2003, in Jacksonville, Florida, when a U.S. Customs agent found a list of Guantanamo detainees and interrogators among his belongings.[6] He was charged with five offenses: sedition, aiding the enemy, spying, espionage, and failure to obey a general order. These charges were later reduced to mishandling classified information in addition to some minor charges.[6] He was then transferred to a United States Navy brig in Charleston, South Carolina. The government did not name the country or entity for whom it suspected Yee was spying.

All court-martial charges against Yee were dropped on March 19, 2004, with Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller "citing national security concerns that would arise from the release of the evidence,"[7] and he was released to resume his duties. Yee was then accused of adultery and storing pornography on a government computer; and nonjudicial punishment under Article 15, UCMJ was imposed. His appeal to General Hill, Commander, United States Southern Command, was granted in April 2004. He left the US military with an honorable discharge in January, but he is still seeking an apology.__________

His case is another stellar example of the Bush-era paranoia and vindictiveness.

This is what we are supposed to be fighting for; the treatment he received is what our nation is supposed to be ~against~...

Over the past few months since the inauguration of President Obama, people have speculated about whether or not the various alleged -- and actual -- crimes of the Bush Administration would ever be truly investigated. Some thought that Attorney General Eric Holder would initiate domestic investigations. Some were heartened by the example set by the British as they began their own internal investigation, hoping that the U.S. would soon follow suit.

But nobody expected the Spanish Inquisition...

Well, maybe nobody. But nonetheless, Spain has begun an inquiry and started the process for indicting six former member of the Bush Administration for their actions.

In a nutshell, John Dean says: "If the US passes on their moral obligation to investigate this, other countries will step in." Therefore, it will behoove the Obama Administration to address the issue and not drop it.

And remember boys and girls, "pardons" would only prevent prosecution in the US, according to US law. A pardon doesn't mean diddly on the world stage.

Give Bush and Cheney a fair trial -- something they have not bothered with since they stole office.

It's funny how the powers that be in the media and government are running around with their big fat excuses as to why we can't hold these criminals accountable for their crimes. It all boils down to "It's too hard!!!"

It's too hard. It would affect too many people. It would interfere with the crucial work of restoring our economy. Blah blah blah. Not one of these folks say, however, that no crime has been committed, no law has been broken. No one says that.

I find that stunning. We all know, at least those of us who have been paying attention, that Bush and his crew of crooks have broken the law over and over again.

And Cheney says "What you gonna do about it?" And Cheney says "oh, the Dems knew about this and approved it, hell they wanted us to be even tougher than we were!"

And we should believe Cheney ... why?

I don't want speculation any more. I want the truth, the facts, what really happened. Only a special prosecutor can get that information, someone who is inured to the politics of Washington D.C. by being given the independent power to investigate.

President George W. Bush revoked a pardon yesterday, setting a dangerous new precedent for Presidential authority and setting the stage for future residents of the Oval Office who may wish to revoke the pardons of previous Presidents.

(CBS/ AP) President Bush took the very rare step Wednesday of revoking a pardon he had granted only a day before, after learning in news reports of political contributions to Republicans by the man's father and other information.

[...snip...]

Doug Berman, a law professor at Ohio State University and a close follower of presidential clemency decisions, said the White House decision strikes him as unprecedented, but he said it's not inconceivable that it had happened in the past.

"It's, at best, embarrassing. At worst, it's an extraordinary example of this White House's ability to bollox up one bit of presidential authority that he clearly has," Berman said.

Wow. This sets a whole new precedent, and provides the incoming Obama Administration with one very potent -- and very, very dangerous -- tool: the ability to revoke any Bush pardons based on new information. Like evidence of treason, sedition, war crimes, intentional corruption, coincidental murder, willful ignorance, dereliction of duty or wholesale negligence.

In short, just about everything that Bush might pardon his fellow Administration members for, opening the door for this nation to finally have a means to circumvent the use of pardons to enable dirty Presidents to get away with -- or help their cronies get away with -- crimes most heinous and foul. The potential for criminals who thought to skate free with a Presidential pardon has now been tarnished and sullied, and there is new hope for change and accountability as a result. It's also a step that should be taken lightly, if at all, lest it lead to a tug-of-war of back-and-forth Administrations slapping each other for foolish actions.

In the meantime, however, it appears that a degree of accountability may once again come to rest within the Oval Office. What a concept.

Two trains derailed early this morning1near Dresback, Minnesota. There were only two reported injuries -- two railroad employees were taken to the hospital with minor injuries -- but the area was evacuated due to a leak caused by the crash. Some articles report a leak of both propane (from a switching station) and liquid ammonia from one of the cars, other news bits report just one or the other.

Two of the derailed cars (at least) plummeted into the Mississippi River.

The NTSB will be investigating, but some initial reports indicate that the two trains collided by "sideswiping" each other. For the most detailed and up-to-date information, check out the story in the Star Tribune.

By itself, this incident is obviously newsworthy. Taken in context with news from the other day about another "midnight rule change" by the Bush Administration, and it sounds downright ominous...

As the holiday season gears up for the mass-marketing hysteria known as "Christmas" and often packaged along with images of a jolly fat man in a red suit with penchant for checking lists twice, it can help to review the things people are thankful for and what kinds of things people are hopeful of.

Sometimes, such a review encounters items that overlap.

One such example would be reviewing the list of scandals that have plagued our nation's government and leadership over the past two Administrations, giving thanks that the error that gave rise to the era of corruption is drawing to an end while spurring hopes and dreams that justice, the rule of law, accountability and a restoration of the underlying bedrock of our democracy might be reconstituted in the coming year.

At this critical juncture in our history we needed an adult but got an adolescent. Instead of responsibility, we got a truant. In place of flexibility we got obduracy. In the face of great and complex challenges, we got strawmen, a black and white universe, my way or the highway, regurgitated stump speeches, and a steadfast refusal to compromise not just with opponents but with reality.

What all this comes down to is that George Bush should never have become our President. He is not just a bad President but the worst one we could have had, the worst our country has ever seen. This is a judgment that many Americans have come to but which our political establishment and media, even after 7 years, have yet to acknowledge, accept, and act on. This is the tragedy and crime of our times.

With luck, we'll see the new Administration and the new Congress act to properly investigate and hold accountable those who have had such a fun time running rampant without any enforcement or rules, and the old fat guy with the lists of naughty and nice will be paying attention and act accordingly, but I won't hold my breath.

January 20, 2009: The End of an Era Error

As November 4th approaches and the nation takes stock of the current state of our security, our economy, our infrastructure, our global standing and our fractured Constitution, it's time to turn and bid adieu to the Administration that has, with the full and complicit knowledge of the GOP, lied, cheated and stole its way through two terms of unadulterated, unapologetic corruption.

So let us all say goodbye to George W. Bush and the elephant he rode in on this November, by voting against the Republican party. In droves.

"All the world 's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts"

-- William ShakespeareAs You Like It, Act II, Scene VII_____

Indeed, never before have the words of the great Bard rung so true.

All across the United States, the play's the thing wherein the GOP will try to capture the attention of the people, and with it the crown of a new king. Make no mistake about it -- that's what they've effectively turned the Presidency into, and a John McCain presidency will simply continue along the path set by his predecessor.

It's time to royally dethrone them and wrest the future of our nation from their arrogantly clumsy, ham-handed fingers and present the nation with a rare treat -- an actual leader, with intelligence and charisma and stuff.

Eight years of Republican dominance, political gamesmanship and unopposed, entrenched cronyism has created a standing pool of fetid, putrid corruption that permeates the entire infrastructure of our nation. The injection of political spin into the realms of science, law enforcement, legislation, accountability and oversight has reached maximum absorption -- we can't take any more. Things are falling apart; the centre cannot hold, and the very foundations are crumbling.

It looks like citizens of the world, regardles of whether they live in the US or not, are beginning to clamor for justice and deciding to start the process on their own out of fear and resignation that the legal processes of their home nations will fail to step up to hold these men and women accountable.

Make the flip for a collection of links and videos that explore the emerging facts that the George W. Bush Administration is guilty of War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity -- and whether or not they'll ever be tried for their crimes.